Dance Photos With a Twist-Edmonton Boudoir Photographer

Boudoir doesn't have be be a bad word. There are many times, recently, that I have said I have been shooting a lot of boudoir and people go "oooooh really? Like lingerie, whips and chains and stuff?" Then I laugh and politely say no. Not that there is anything wrong with that! Some people do photograph that type of thing, all the power to them. However, that's not what I do. What I do is more of an intimate glamour type of thing.

Now I don't know about you, but I have always wanted to be a model just for one day. Get all dressed up, be super sexy, not look awkward/constipated in front of the camera, and well...look glamorous. But normal people can't do that, can they? Then one day I was talking to a friend about how I wanted to start doing glamour shots of models but that it can be hard to get into that scene. It dawned on me that if I took what I already do with photography (lifestyle/authentic) and use that with a slight boudoir twist, I could create a sexy glamour shoot that would be classy but sexy. What I really wanted to do was capture a person exactly the way they are; exactly the way their partner/significant other/friends see them. However, I wanted them to be dramatic and glamorous. Not your every day run of the mill portrait. Something you only share with the closest people in your life.

I get this because I am have never considered myself a super sexy or provocative person. I would never do a shoot in lingerie or nude because it just isn't me. I am more of a hipster meets skateboarder meets athlete. You can find me in a sports bra or guys clothes more often than something sexy or cute. However, that is what my husband finds sexy about me, the sweat pants/sports bra or oversized tee shirt and boy shorts that is "my brand of sexy" to him.

So from this one conversation, I decided to try out this "theory" (though it may not be novel, I'm sure plenty of people are doing it) and find someone willing to let me take photographs of them. After asking at least five different people, none of them could get the lingerie and dirty pose idea out of their head, I found a friend willing to try it out. So, we sat down and talked about her and her husband. I got a better feel for what really made her who she was and those cute little things about her that her husband found sexy. I stressed to her that it didn't have to be nude or dirty in anyway, I just wanted to capture her and her personality but make it glamourous.

After that quick chat we came up with a dance theme. Having been a professional dancer for several years and trained most of her life for dance, it played a large role in who she is. Plus, her husband has been with her through a large portion of her dance career, so it played a large role in their life. Plus, part of her beauty is the gracefulness that comes from dancing your whole life. Most importantly, it would be classy and not super revealing; that is who she is! Even better, we found a cute little studio in the heart of Edmonton that had a classy living room feel to it.

Shooting this session was one of the most fun sessions I have ever had. Trying to capture that feeling of sexiness, grace, beauty, glamour, and a story all in a dance style photo was a fun challenge. I really wanted to hint at the provocative and dramatic without throwing it in your face and I truly think that we were able to achieve this. Most importantly, I wanted to show that you don't have to conform to the stereotypical idea of boudoir or sexiness to create an intimate moment. Everyone has their own brand of sexy and I want to capture and create appreciation for that!